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Worthy Smart Phones Get Lost Among All The Tablet Headlines

(Mobile Development and Design Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) You may have missed some interesting news about upcoming smart
phones among all the recent hype about Apple’s iPad mini and
Microsoft’s Surface and Windows 8. I haven’t taken the
plunge and gotten a tablet yet, so the smart-phone news was far
more relevant to me and perhaps to you as well.

The big news is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 OS. Windows
Phone OS-based smart phones have been around for years, but none
have been a big success. Nokia’s Lumia line from earlier this
year used a 7.5 version of Phone OS that’s close to Windows
8. Next, Windows Phone 8 will be on the Lumia 810, 820, 822, and
920, which is an LTE phone (see the
figure).

Phone 8 has lots of new features, including access to more than
120,000 apps, near-field communications (NFC) digital wallet where
available, and Skype. The unique tile-based user interface (UI) is
striking, and its touch action is flawless.

Other new Windows Phone 8 phones include HTC’s 8X and 8S
and Samsung’s ATIV S. These phones will be available in some
mix from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the U.S. and other
carriers throughout the rest of the world. Most will be available
in mid-November. Google announced its Nexus 4 smart phone and its
Nexus 10 tablet last month. Made by LG Electronics, the Nexus 4
adds to the huge number of Android phones on the market.

RIM has released its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 to 50 carriers
worldwide for testing. Despite RIM’s problems and downturn,
there are still millions of loyal BlackBerry users. Some enterprise
users prefer its form factor and design. While RIM has lost
millions of customers to iPhones and other smart phones, many
customers are looking forward to the BlackBerry 10. It will make or
break RIM when it emerges. RIM plans to launch it within the first
quarter next year.

Perhaps the biggest news of all is that Microsoft is working on
its own smart phone. The company is going its own way with tablets
that compete directly with its software customers, so maybe
Microsoft believes its own smart phone can be competitive.

Microsoft is moving toward the Apple model of business, which is
making the software and hardware alike.

Maybe it’s time. The Microsoft smart phone isn’t a
sure thing, but it could happen. It’s a huge market. The
latest surveys indicate that Android phones represent 75% of all
cell phones today, with Samsung dominating. Apple has only 15%.

Everyone else has 10%. At this point, is there really room for
Microsoft and RIM
While tablets got all the attention last month, more smart
phones are sold than tablets. Tablets are hot right now and will
continue to get all the attention as consumers shift their loyalty
away from their beloved laptops. However, a smart phone does
everything a tablet can do and more, and you can still put it in
your pocket or purse. You can’t even do that with one of the
new 7-in. tablets.